12oz single bottle from Total Wine, Kennesaw, GA, USA. Breckenridge has just come to GA, part of my first purchase at the newly opened store.

I’ve had a few Breckenridge beers that I have been really impressed with, so my hopes were high. Unfortunately this didn’t quite come up to par. All the attributes of an amber/red, but the whole package lacks depth. Almost like a watered down version of the style.

Not quite red enough in the Sam Adams new style glass, without much lacing. More dark/golden orange than anything else. Lacks a great head despite the nucleation sites in the glass and therefore very little lace too.

Taste lacks a real bitter definition and the finish is not as dry as it might be for the style. Some hop profile in the aroma and to be honest I think the smell is the strongest feature of this beer. Not that it is unpleasant, it just lacks presence.

The higher ABV Breckenridge beers in the 471 series have been much more interesting to me so far.